Sponge use identifier apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A sponge includes at least one letter or visual identifier that is used to identify which component the sponge is to be used to clean. The letter or visual identifier is provided on either or both of a top surface and a bottom surface of the sponge. The letter or visual identifier is provided by way of indelible ink, recessed areas on a surface of the sponge, or raised areas on a surface of the sponge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sponges are used for all kinds of things, such as for washing dishes,cleaning stovetops, kitchen countertops, kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks,tubs and showers, and toilets, just to name a few of the uses ofsponges.

When a sponge is used in a kitchen, for example, it is hard to rememberthe previous usages of that sponge. For example, if the kitchen area hastwo sponges, one for cleaning the kitchen sink and one for cleaning thekitchen floor, it is difficult to remember which sponge is to be usedfor which purpose. While sponges are typically sold in packs withsponges of differing colors, one can initially designate the “blue”sponge for cleaning the kitchen floors and the “yellow” sponge forcleaning the kitchen countertops and stovetops. However, at a laterdate, it is difficult if not impossible to remember which sponge is tobe used for which purpose. Also, a guest of a residence may not know thedesignated use of each sponge if he or she were to be assisting withdish washing and other household cleaning.

This clearly leads to a problem, since one does not want to use his/herkitchen floor cleaning sponge for cleaning the kitchen countertop, dueto the germs and such that are picked up by the kitchen floor sponge.Even if one cleans their sponges periodically (e.g., places them in adishwasher along with the dishes), it is still not a good sanitary ideato use a toilet or floor sponge for cleaning kitchen areas.

The present invention has been developed with the above problem in mind.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sponge according to one aspect of the invention herein comprises atleast one letter identifier that is used to identify on which componentsthe sponge is to be used to clean.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in further detail herein with reference tothe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first sponge according to a first embodiment of theinvention, whereby an intended use of the sponge is provided on asurface of the sponge.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second sponge according to the first embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 3 illustrates a third sponge according to the first embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 4 illustrates a fourth sponge according to the first embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 5 illustrates a fifth sponge according to the first embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 6 illustrates a sixth sponge according to the first embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sponge according to either a second or thirdembodiment of the invention, whereby an intended use indicator for thesponge is provided on a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 8 illustrates a first sponge according to a fifth embodiment of theinvention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge is providedon a surface of the sponge.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second sponge according to the fifth embodiment ofthe invention, whereby an intended use indicator for the sponge isprovided on a surface of the sponge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-6 show sponges 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 550 according to afirst embodiment of the invention. Each of the sponges has an indelibleidentifier 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, and 560 placed on a conspicuouslocation, such as a top or bottom surface, or both, of the sponge. Thatway, when a person desires to use a sponge to clean something, thatperson need only to refer to the indelible identifier in order to knowwhich things the sponge is to be used for (and/or has been previouslyused to clean). That way, the person can be assured that the sponge thathe/she currently has in their hands is being used for the same thingsthat it has previously been used to clean.

In accordance with the first embodiment, the sponges 100, 200, 300, 400,500 and 550 are preferably sold in one package. The sponges 100, 200,300, 400, 500 and 550 may be of different colors, or of the same color.Since there is no worry about misusing a sponge, the color distinctionsprovided on the sponges are purely for ornamental purposes. In analternative implementation, there may be more of certain sponges in asponge package than other sponges, due to the fact that certain thingsare cleaned more frequently than other things. By way of example and notby way of limitation, there may be a plurality of SINK sponges and onlyone TOILET sponge in a package, since sinks are typically cleaned moreoften than toilets (and thus sink sponges wear out faster than toiletsponges).

In the first embodiment, the indelible identifier 110, 210, 310, 410,510, and 560 is preferably an ink-based identifier, that does not wearoff when exposed to water or other liquids. The indelible identifier110, 210, 310, 410, 510, and 560 is preferably of a large size thattakes up most of a top or bottom surface, or both, of the sponge. Theindelible identifier 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, and 560 is preferablyprovided in all capital lettering, but some or all of the letters mayalternatively be provided in lower-case lettering, if desired. Thelettering is preferably provided in English, but it may also be providedin another language, such as Spanish or German, depending upon where thesponges are to be sold and the prevalent nationality of the persons whoare to be using the sponges. The identifier may be fully spelled out, orit may be abbreviated, whereby the abbreviation has enough lettering forone to determine the purpose of the sponge (e.g., TLT for toilet,KIT-CNT for kitchen countertop, SNK for sink, etc.). The size of thelettering may be modified based on the size of the sponges, in order toprovide enough lettering on the sponges so as to identify the things thesponges are to be used to clean. Thus, a large sponge may have largelettering (e.g., 14 point lettering), whereby a smaller sponge may havesmaller lettering (e.g., 12 point or 10 point) to include the sameidentifier with the same number of letters.

In a second embodiment of the invention, instead of providing anink-based indelible identifier on the sponge, the identifier is providedby way of recesses on the sponge surface itself, whereby, duringmanufacturing of the sponges, a top or bottom surface, or both, of thesponges are “etched” so as to provide the lettering used to identify theparticular use of the sponges. In this case, areas on the top or bottomsurfaces of the sponge that correspond to the letters are etched down bya certain amount, such as by ⅛″ to ¼″. Of course, one of ordinary skillin the art will recognize that other etch amounts may be contemplated,while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention. A stampingmachine may be utilized during a manufacturing process to achieve therecessed lettering on the sponges.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a sponge 600 in accordance with the secondembodiment of the invention, whereby the top surface of the sponge 600includes recessed regions 610 and non-recessed regions 620. The recessedregions 610 form the letters that indicate the items that the sponge 600is to be used to clean.

In a third embodiment of the invention, instead of providing anink-based indelible identifier on the sponge, the identifier is providedby way of raised areas on the sponge itself, whereby, duringmanufacturing of the sponges, a top or bottom surface, or both, of thesponges are “etched” so as to provide the lettering used to identify theparticular use of the sponges. In this case, the areas outside theletters are etched away, such as by an amount of ⅛″ to ¼″. Of course,one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other etch amountsmay be contemplated, while remaining within the spirit and scope of theinvention. A stamping machine may be utilized during a manufacturingprocess to achieve the raised lettering on the sponges.

Thus, referring again to FIG. 7, for the third embodiment, the raisedregions 620 form the letters on the top surface of the sponge 600 thatindicate the items that the sponge 600 is to be used to clean, while thenon-raised regions 610 form the non-letter areas on the top surface ofthe sponge 600.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, a sponge is provided that haseither recessed lettering or raised lettering, as in the second andthird embodiments, along with indelible print on the recessed or raisedlettering.

In a fifth embodiment of the invention, a sponge is provided that avisual indicator on a surface thereof, in which the visual indicatorindicates the things the sponge is to be used to clean. FIG. 8 shows asponge 700 with a visual indicator on a top surface of the sponge 700,whereby the visual indicator shows dishes, to indicate that the sponge700 is to be used for washing dishes and other kitchen utensils. FIG. 9shows a sponge 800 with a visual indicator on a top surface of thesponge 800, whereby the visual indicator shows a bathtub, to indicatethat the sponge 800 is to be used for cleaning the bathtub. A firstsponge may have a toilet shape on its top or bottom surface, or both,whereby the toilet shape may be provided by way of indelible ink,recessed areas or raised areas on a surface (e.g., top surface or bottomsurface, or both) of the sponge. A second sponge may have a kitchen sinkshape on its top or bottom surface, or both. Thus, the first sponge willnot be used for cleaning kitchen appliances, due to a cleaning personnoticing the toilet shape on the first sponge and realizing that thefirst sponge is only to be used in the bathroom. Also, the second spongewill not be used for cleaning bathroom fixtures, due to a cleaningperson noticing the kitchen sink shape on the second sponge.

Those of ordinary skill will recognize that variations in the shape,size and other aspects of the elements according to the invention can beutilized without departing from the scope of the invention as recited inthe claims herein. For example, while the embodiments described aboveare with respect to a standard sponge, one of ordinary skill in the artwill recognize that other types of sponges, such as a sponge having anabrasive surface on one side, are contemplated while remaining withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. The lettering indicators may beprovided on either the abrasive side or the spongy side, in that case.

1. A sponge, comprising: at least one letter identifier that is used to identify which component the sponge is to be used to clean.
 2. The sponge according to claim 1, wherein the at least one letter identifier is provided on at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the sponge.
 3. The sponge according to claim 1, wherein the at least one letter identifier is provided by way of indelible ink.
 4. The sponge as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one letter identifier is provided by way of recessed areas on a surface of the sponge.
 5. The sponge as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one letter identifier is provided by way of raised areas on a surface of the sponge.
 6. The sponge as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one letter identifier corresponds to a word or an abbreviation of a word that identifies the component that the sponge is to be used to clean.
 7. A sponge, comprising: at least one visual identifier that is used to identify which components the sponge is to be used to clean.
 8. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier corresponds to a visual image of a fixture that the sponge is to be used to clean.
 9. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier corresponds to a sink.
 10. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier corresponds to a toilet shape.
 11. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier is provided on at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the sponge.
 12. The sponge according to claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier is provided by way of indelible ink.
 13. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier is provided by way of recessed areas on a surface of the sponge.
 14. The sponge as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one visual identifier is provided by way of raised areas on a surface of the sponge.
 15. A method of manufacturing a sponge that includes a use identifier, comprising: including the use identifier on at least one surface of the sponge, the use identifier corresponding to either at least one letter identifier or a visual identifier that identifies a component that the sponge is to be used to clean.
 16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the including step is performed by a stamping machine that stamps either the at least one letter identifier or the visual identifier on the sponge.
 17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one letter identifier or the visual identifier is provided by way of indelible ink.
 18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one letter identifier or the visual identifier is provided by way of raised or recessed areas on a surface of the sponge.
 19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the surface of the sponge corresponds to either a top surface or a bottom surface, or both, of the sponge.
 20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one letter identifier corresponds to a word or an abbreviation of a word that identifies the component that the sponge is to be used to clean. 